Improvement in stirrups



* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

A. A. LIVINGSTON, OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA.

IMPROVEMENT IN STIRRUPS.

Specicaton forming part of Letters Patent No. 33,354, dated September 24, 1861,

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that 1, A. A. LIVINGSTON, of Cedar Rapids, in the county of Linn and State of Iowa, have invented a new and Improved Saddle-Stirrup; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this speci- Iication, in whicli- Figure 1 is a vertical section of my invention, taken in the line x :r of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal section of the same, taken in the line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the lower part of the same, taken in the line z .e of Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention consists in applying an india-rubber foot-piece to a stirrup, substantially as hereinafter described, whereby the foot is prevented from slipping in the stirrup and the horse and rider relieved from much of the jarring and jolting attending the use of the ordinary stirrups.

To enable those skilled in the art to f ully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents the stirrup, the `upper part of which may be of the usual form, the lower part being a plate a, having a flange b all around it, said ilange inclining inward, as shown clearly in Figs. l and 3. The stirrup may be cast all in one piece of brass or iron. The latter metal may be malleableized. I do not, however, coniine myself to any particular metal or mode of manufacture.

The flange h forms a socket of oval form, as shown in Fig. 2, and this socket receives a piece of india-rubber B, which isvalso out in oval form, but of larger dimensions than the socket, so that when the rubber :is fittedin its socket itwill form a convex foot-piece and an elastic one. The exterior surface of the rubber may be corrugated or grooved, so as to render the foot less liable t-o slip.

The rubber B will yield or give to the motion of the foot of the rider, and, While effectually preventing the slipping of the foot, will also aiford relief to both the horse andl his rider, the ordinaryv jolting and jarring being in a great degree prevented.

The invention, it will be seen, will'not materially augment the cost of the stirrup, while the advantage is an important one.

In case of the rubber Wearing smooth or becoming injured by use or wear, the old piece may be readily detached and a new piece inserted.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent as an improved article of manufacture, is

A saddle-stirrup A, provided with an indiarubber or elastic foot-piece B, substantially as described.

A. A. LIVINGSTON.

Witnesses:

W. W. WALKER, L. C. PARDEE. 

